Accuracy first: episodic memory’s evolution

Abstract

The debate about episodic memory’s evolutionary function has given rise to three prominent views. The Mnemonic Function View (MFV) argues that episodic memory is for remembering (Boyle, 2022, p. 328; S. Brown, 2024; Schwartz, 2020); the Future Function View (FFV) argues that episodic memory is for simulating the future (De Brigard, 2014, 2017; Michaelian, 2016b; Schacter et al., 2007; Schacter & Addis, 2007); and the Communicative Function View (CFV) argues that episodic memory is for communication (Davidson et al., 2012; Mahr, 2022; Mahr & Csibra, 2018). In the current debate, these views are presented as incompatible and sole functions of episodic memory. While some papers mention the possibility that episodic memory has multiple functions (Boyle, 2022; Mahr, 2022; Schwartz, 2020), a systematic account of how these functions might be related is currently lacking. In this paper, I argue that episodic memory could have evolved for all three functions, despite the prima facie tensions between them. I further show that the mnemonic function is episodic memory’s most basic or primary function. This is because the future and communicative functions depend, both metaphysically and historically, on the existence of an episodic memory capacity with the mnemonic function.